“Yes, exactly.” Lieber’s eyes watered. “It’s so terrible.”

“Yes, it is. I’m so sorry.”

“Horrible.” Lieber wiped his eyes. “And you are leaving tomorrow?”

“Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.”

Donatti had told him to wait for his call, but how long could Decker be patient?

“At the hespid yesterday, I spoke to people who worked with Ephraim. I also spoke with others who knew your son. Ephraim seemed like a man who was full of heart.”

“Who did you speak to?” Chaim challenged.

“A woman named Luisa—”

“Ephraim gave her money,” Chaim sneered. “Of course she liked him.”

“And since when is tzedaka considered a bad thing?” Raisie asked him.

“Charity begins at home,” Chaim said.

“Don’t fight,” another sister castigated. “Don’t we have enough to deal with?”

Raisie regarded Decker, then pointed to her sisters. “This is Esther; this is Malka.”

Decker offered his condolences to them.

“And who were the others who knew Ephraim?” Mr. Lieber wanted to know.

“I spoke to a man who met Ephraim in an organization called Emek Refa’im.”

“Yes, yes,” Mr. Lieber said. “The counseling place.”

“A place for drug addicts, Papa,” Chaim stated.

“A place to help them,” Mr. Lieber insisted. “He was doing so well, Lieutenant. Ephraim was.”

“So I understand.”

The old man sighed. “So well.” Tears in his eyes. “In the business, too.”

“How long had he been working with you and Chaim?”

Lieber didn’t answer.

“Two years,” Chaim said dully.

“Two years,” the old man repeated. “He enjoyed it. I could tell he liked the business.”

Chaim rolled his eyes, but the old man didn’t see it.

“I’m sure he loved being part of the business,” Decker said. “What was his job there?”

“What difference does it make now?” Chaim snapped.

“The man wants to know,” Mr. Lieber said. “He was a jack of all boxes—”

“Jack of all trades,” Chaim corrected.

“He’d work the register, stock the shelves, take inventory in the stores and in the warehouse, fill in if people didn’t show up.”

“Assuming he’d show up,” Chaim said.

“Chaim!” Raisie chastised. “Please!”

Chaim rubbed his face. “I’m sorry.”

Jonathan returned with the tea. He handed a glass to his father, then one to Decker. “Thanks, Jon.”

Chaim said, “I’m going upstairs for a moment, Papa. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jonathan said.

“Sure. Come on.”

The two men trudged through the crowds, standing close to each other, an unspoken message between them.

Sitting on something.

Did the girl bolt? Had she made contact with them? Last night, she had been petrified to have anything to do with any of her kinsmen, but a new dawn often brought a new perspective. Maybe she had decided that the safest place was home.

Or maybe he was reading too much into the camaraderie. Maybe they both wanted to get away from the crowd—which was certainly understandable.

Mr. Lieber sipped his tea. “I thought things were working out.”

Decker returned his concentration to the old man. “I’m sure they were working out.”